In the heart of North Scottsdale, Silverleaf is tucked into the canyons of the McDowell Mountains and surrounded by the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The Silverleaf Club Spa and Fitness Director helps members to explore the pure enjoyment of life.

‘Wellness’ has become an increasingly saturated and streamlined word rooted in good intention. Webster defines it as ‘the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal.’

I believe the true essence of wellness is fluid from person to person and is a holistic reflection of who you are, what you think, what you feel and that for which you choose to surround yourself. We are responsible for our wellbeing and must choose to be active participants in making decisions to better our lives. Below are a few ways to define wellness and integrate those elements into every aspect of our being.

Evaluate where you choose to live:

Whether you are living in a rural landscape or in the heart of a busy city center, you have the power to cultivate a sanctuary inside your home. It is important to be aware of your surroundings and what is evolving in your haven. Think about what energy you bring into your home, what you keep in your space, how many electronics live within the walls and how does your home make you feel. Is it just a shell to continue to plug in or a space you can slip into a plan of wellbeing.

What does your home feel like now? How does it make you feel: Is it energizing or depleting? Now that you have made your evaluation, how do you want your home to feel?

Subtle things like natural light, sound and materials make an impact. Incorporate meaningful items -plants, books, crystals, and paintings – whatever is meaningful to you. I choose not to create an alter, rather I strategically place little things throughout my home that bring energy and joy into my life. So any space and moment can evoke introspection to surrender and decompress.

Seek outside counsel. For example, at Silverleaf wellness educators, including sleep gurus and intuitive home interventions experts, can help evaluate a home to build upon areas of energy and minimize those of toxicity.

Consider whom you surround yourself with –consciously choose every single person in your life:

Not only your friends, but also the colleagues you elect to spend the most time with. Consciously think about the places you spend your time, where do you grocery shop or grab your morning matcha. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and do things that invite connections and untraveled pathways.

It is important to know the vision you have for your life and to find people who can support you in that vision. Time is a precious commodity, so look at where your time is going. With cluttered days and busy schedules, it can be hard to reflect on the things we need to do to shift our energy.

It is easy to wake up, eat, go to work, come home, work out, eat and sleep. Make a conscious decision to separate yourself from the day-to-day and really hone in on the things you are passionate about. Open yourself to seeing and finding new things that are outside of your comfort zone and push you to new adventures, and ways to learn more about yourself. Once you have identified those passions, build a tribe that has similar interests and spend your time with them – elevating one another.

What you eat and put into your body:

Being mindful about food is certainly a hot topic right now and it can be easy to get a little lost in that. I am a vegan, so I have a unique perspective when it comes to sustenance. I believe what you put into your body changes your physiology. For me, it is important to take a broader look at how the impact of what I am eating has on all people and beings who have been associated with bringing that food to my hand, be it an orange or meat.

One thing I think everyone can relate to is considering what the intention is behind what you eat. Too often food is associated with words like ‘guilt’ and ‘behaving yourself.’ Be conscious of healthy options and eat what you want, but evaluate your intention and find balance between the two. As long as you are clear about your intention behind your food, you should not have emotional connection or guilt tied to what you eat. Be compassionate with yourself and understand that once you attach guilt to something, you lose all the joy in it.

In other words, if you are craving something sweet, decide you want a warm, buttery croissant – eat the croissant. There is no need to punish yourself and remove the satisfaction.

How you feed your spirit and thoughts:

In my line of work in wellness there is a lot of energy in giving. While I thrive on that, I seek others who have a new thought process around wellness and look for things outside the box to feed my spirit. The new things I stumble upon don’t always resonate, but they are important for me in expanding my mind.

Meditation is another important component of feeding your spirit, and can range to anything from watering your plants every day to going to a labyrinth. Sometimes, when I’ve had a hectic day, get home and need to meditate and decompress, I turn all electronics off and lay on the floor – this is my meditation for the day. Find the things that resonate with your spirit and feed those things. It is not the external things that are always important, it is recognizing where you are, what you have and being present in that feeling.

Takeaway:

In addition to being mindful to everything above, the one activity that has been the biggest influence in my life, from a wellness perspective, is giving back to the community around me. We are guests in each community we are in. Give back to it. Volunteer your time, money, energy and anything that feels right and the fulfillment that comes from it is unfathomable.

I feel grateful to be in my community- and to be surrounded by people that entrust me with their wellbeing. Thank you for allowing me to bring a positive vibe to your day.

Innovative, intentional, and visionary wellness leader, Sharon Narduzzi, is the spa and fitness director for the exclusive Silverleaf Club of DC Ranch in North Scottsdale, Arizona.

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“People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills . . . There is nowhere that a person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind. . . . So constantly give yourself this retreat, and renew yourself.”